On July 19, 2025, Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address former U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that five fighter jets were shot down during the May 2025 India-Pakistan conflict. In a public statement, Gandhi demanded transparency, stating, “Modi ji, now it’s time to tell the truth—what is the reality behind the downing of five jets? The people of India want to know the truth about these five aircraft.”

Trump’s remarks, made during a White House dinner with Republican lawmakers, referred to the brief but intense conflict triggered by a terrorist attack in Indian-occupied Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which killed 26 people. He did not specify whether the jets belonged to India or Pakistan, prompting conflicting narratives. Pakistan claimed it downed five Indian jets, while India’s Chief of Defence Staff, General Anil Chauhan, acknowledged initial losses but denied Pakistan’s claim of six jets, including Rafales, being destroyed.

READ MORE: Trump Claims Five Jets Downed in India-Pakistan Clash, Touts Ceasefire Role